Nightmare
by Callen Rose
Summary: For a while now, Juvia had been dreaming horrors. They keep her up at night and now have started to appear when she's awake as well. When all her nightmares start to tell her to kill Gray, it is all she can do stop them taking control. But it is becoming clear that there is only so much Juvia can take.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters. All rights go to Hiro Mashima respectively.

Lightening flickered by her window the exact moment Juvia sat up from her sleep. It illuminated the room for a brief moment, light reflecting off her wet face. Everything was still, quiet; time was suspended for that one instant. Then it was over, shadows claiming the room again and thunder booming loudly enough to make the ground tremble. The rain poured on and on, rattling the sole window.

But Juvia stayed. She didn't dare move. It didn't matter if she was blinded by the darkness surrounding her or deafened by the weather outside. She knew the moment she even _twitched _it would all be over. The spell would be broken. And then the nightmares would return to haunt her mind without rest. Everything she'd awakened to stop, would only come to torment her in reality.

Another flash of lightening. She choked out a sob in surprise. The second it convulsed her body, it all came rushing back.

Juvia screamed.

Thunder just managed to muffle the sound. Tears streaked her already-dripping cheeks. Rain fell harder. The gloom seemed to eat her alive. Images, voices, cries, flickered through her mind like the lightening outside. Whispers of danger and death loomed over her.

It suffocated her, the dark. It made it all real. All the nightmares materialized right in front of her eyes. They reached out. Long, shapeless arms stretched for her. Grasping her neck, arms, legs. Every single horror she'd dreamt crawled up her skin. There was no way to escape their smothering hold on her.

"Juvia?" There was a knock on the door.

In an instant, her hallucination vanished. It left her heaving on the floor. Sweat covered her entire body, soaked her pyjamas and plastered strands of hair to her forehead. Somehow, her lamp had been knocked over from the night stand and lay beside her head. Pulling on the cord, she felt the least bit relieved that it wasn't damaged.

The light calmed her down. _It wasn't real_, Juvia thought. _A nightmare. That's all._

Catching her breath slowly, she placed the lamp back on the stand. Pressing her forehead against the cool wood, Juvia wiped the drool from her mouth.

Another knock.

Juvia inhaled a deep lungful of air, her heart rate gradually slowing down. Cautiously, she stood up and staggered to the door. She made sure to swipe her face with a sleeve before opening it.

"Erza-san?" Juvia whispered, her voice hoarse. She leaned against the door frame for support. "What time is it?"

Erza bowed apologetically. "Sorry. I know it's late, but I heard banging and wanted to make sure you were… all right?" Tilting her head, Erza noticed in the dim light the state Juvia was in. "What happened?"

Juvia coughed, slightly embarrassed. "A-a nightmare."

"Ah." Erza said, nodding understandingly. Straightening her posture, she gave Juvia a reassuring smile. "If you need to, you can always sleep with me." Her eyes twinkled, caught up in the big sister act.

Blushing, Juvia shook her head. "No, no, Erza-san. It's okay. Juvia will be fine."

"I see." Erza said. Clearing her throat, she nodded once in affirmation. "I will be across the hall, Juvia. Shout if you need anything."

Smiling, Juvia bid goodnight and closed the door. It was then that she noticed how hard her hand was trembling on the knob. She clasped it with her other hand and slowly slunk down against the door. She shivered. That had been too close. If Erza hadn't interrupted…

No. She wouldn't think about it anymore. Gritting her teeth 'til they hurt, she refused to give in to a simple nightmare. She wasn't a little girl anymore. She had strengthened her abilities. She had become a water mage. She had met Gray. She had conquered the rain that had always surrounded her. She had joined Fairy Tail. _She had grown up._

And now she would not let a scary dream control her life.

That said, Juvia didn't sleep for the rest of the night.

* * *

Juvia forced her eyes open, refusing to let them close anymore. It was safe to say that her sleepless night took quite the toll on her. Now, even though she was at the guild, she wanted nothing more than to lay her head down and…

No. She shook her head. _Juvia will not fall asleep!_

"Juvia!" Lucy said, waving as she came over to her table. "Haven't seen you in a while."

"Lucy-san," Juvia said. "Good morning."

"Well, it's actually the afternoon now, but…" Lucy said, trailing off. Then she noticed the dark bags under her friend's eyes. "What happened? Tough night?"

"Something like that," Juvia admitted, pushing memories of it from her mind. "Juvia couldn't sleep."

"It was some storm last night, wasn't it?" Lucy said. "I had trouble falling asleep as well."

Even through her half-conscious state, Juvia noticed how Lucy didn't blame the gloomy weather on her. She had to smile.

"I guess you can sleep for a while now, right?" Lucy continued, smiling, "The sun's out, so I bet falling asleep—"

"No!"

Juvia had stood up, her heart thudding and eyes wide open. Lucy half-raised her hands in some sort of surrender, surprised at her outburst.

Clearing her throat, Juvia sat back down in embarrassment. "Juvia means, coffee will be adequate."

Lucy gave a timid laugh. "Y-yeah, if you say so."

* * *

No matter how many coffees Juvia drank, it couldn't keep the sleep away completely. She ended up collapsing in her kitchen, unconscious before she hit the floor. The pot of coffee remained untouched.

When Juvia woke up, she was relieved to find that she hadn't dreamed any nightmares. And for once in a while, she was finally rested. A bit sore from sleeping on the tiled floor, but well-rested nonetheless. Stretching, Juvia let out a sigh of content. Her first peaceful night since she couldn't even remember. This was definitely something to celebrate.

The night after that was also a calm one, giving Juvia hope that maybe her nightmares had finally stopped. She returned back to her old self, full of energy. It was peaceful, silent, and safe. And Juvia welcomed the relief it brought with her entirety.

It was three nights later that everything came back, worse than before.

This is based off of a list of Bloody Dark AUs I found. Reviews are welcomed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters. All rights go to Hiro Mashima respectively.

"_No!_" Juvia shrieked, trembling with impossible force. Red trickled onto her hands, weaving its way through her fingers and accentuating each crease in her skin. She wiped her arms on the sheets again and again _and again_, trying in futile attempts to get it off of her. It only spread further, flowing into her pores and then eyes, until it was all she could see. The moment she opened her lips for air, she could taste the coppery fluid flooding her mouth. She desperately fought for a breath

Then she started falling. The intensity of red was replaced with the terrifying familiarity of the darkness. She wheezed and hair stood up all over her body. Hands were reaching out to her as she fell, faster and faster. Screams flew out of her mouth the further she plummeted. Whispers tickled her ears as the wind howled into them. Bawling, she covered her ears tightly and curled into a ball. The voices still reached her, prying into her mind and filling it with their malice.

"P-please," Juvia whispered. Her eyes were streaming, lungs crying out with every breath she took. "Please s-stop." To her distress, the whispers steadily increased in volume. In only a few seconds, the screaming drowned out Juvia's every thought, replacing them with the darkness they brought. She struggled against it, resisting her nightmares with all her might until she could hardly breathe. _No, no. Stop! _

Her efforts were in vain, and Juvia could feel her control slowly slipping from her grasp—

With a loud gasp, Juvia fell off her bed, no longer asleep. Hands shaking, she slowly felt the floor around her. As she recognized her surroundings, Juvia lit her lamp and slumped down in relief and fatigue. There was no way she'd go back to sleep, not with the threat of more terrors looming over her bed anyway. But she was also too exhausted to move.

So instead, Juvia lay there on her floor. She thought about what was happening to her. The nightmares that had started possibly a few months ago—she couldn't really remember when exactly—and barely left her any peace. Why did they start? And why weren't they stopping? She'd had enough dreams to last her a lifetime.

Juvia half-raised her hand to wipe the sweat off her brow. When was it going to stop? _If _it was going to stop anyway. That made her shudder. Juvia wouldn't be able to last much longer. Just a few moments ago, she'd almost lost control of—

Juvia shook the thoughts out of her head. She would not think about her nightmares. She wouldn't dare. They had already managed to creep into her reality as Juvia had been seeing those… those _things _in her peripheral vision. Thinking about them would not help. That wasn't to say that ignoring them had all this time, but…

Did she have any other choice?

* * *

Covering her mouth, Juvia unsuccessfully stifled a yawn. Her gaze danced lazily above her guild mates heads, before landing on the Request Board. She hadn't gone on any missions lately, not trusting herself to collapse in the middle of anything important. Juvia looked away. It's not like she could help it in anyway. But the whole money thing was becoming problematic.

A gust of cold air blew into the room, scattering snowflakes throughout the guild. Juvia smiled sleepily, watching Fairy Tail members shriek as the frosty air grazed them. _That's right, _she thought, _It's getting to be that time of year again…_

"Yo."

Juvia looked up, startled to see Gray coming up to her. "G-Gray-sama?" This was a little out of the ordinary. Juvia was usually the one to strike up a conversation.

"What have you been up to lately?" he asked, sliding into the seat next to her. While Juvia fumbled for an answer, Gray regarded her uncertainly. He could tell something was off (Gray wasn't as stupid as that fire-breathing idiot made him out to be), and truth be told, it was a little unsettling. Gray had long gotten accustomed to Juvia's… _odd_ habits, but he doubted that her lack of cheerfulness was something he'd ever really be able to get used to.

"Juvia just," Juvia finally spoke, "Hasn't been getting enough sleep."

"Something happen?"

Being guild mates did mean that Juvia acquired some of Gray's attention, but this new concern made her cheeks redden lightly. Especially now that his shirt had disappeared. "U-um, just bad dreams." Raising her head, she was surprised to find her heart beating so quickly, as if her nightmares hadn't been bothering her rest in the least. With newfound peace, she watched Gray continue their conversation. Maybe there was a way through this after all.

"I'm sure there has to be some solution—"

Without warning, Juvia suddenly stood up. She'd spoke too soon. Shivering, Juvia fought to keep control as the darkness wove its way through her thoughts.

"Juvia?" Gray stood up as well, taken aback.

The fear reflected in her eyes as she looked at him was enough to stop him from saying any more. Her head shook slowly, her feet taking steady steps away from him. Her hands were trembling as the formed fists tight enough to blanch her knuckles.

"Juvia… Juvia apologizes," Juvia said, her words strained. She took a sharp breath, and ran out of the guild. But Gray could still catch the raw emotion her faced showed.

Pure terror.

* * *

Once she was a safe distance away from Fairy Tail, Juvia leaned against the alley wall. Tears were already falling readily down her faded cheeks, but Juvia kept quiet, her hand not moving from her mouth.

Impossible. It couldn't be.

How could she let this happen? Juvia _knew_ it was dangerous. She _knew _the nightmares weren't leaving her alone. She _knew_ that she had barely any strength left to control herself. She knew all of that.

Then why?

Juvia slid down to the ground, sinking into the thin sheet of snow. Why had she put him in danger?

His face flashed in her mind, worried and confused. How could she do this to him? If she hadn't caught her herself in the right moment, Gray would… he would…

Juvia broke down, her hat falling into a pile of snow next to her. Clumps of flakes frozen together got caught in her hair as they fell from the sky, only to be disentangled by the shaking of her body.

How could she have been so stupid?

Her chest heaved with every cry. The wind exhaled the icy air onto her, chilling every tear that rolled down. The weather didn't stop its howling as the sun sank away, even as Juvia finally calmed down. It was cold, to put it lightly, but the temperature was the least of Juvia's worries.

She hiccupped once, twice. It was no longer safe—_she_ was no longer safe. To keep all those she cared about away from danger, Juvia would have to stay away from them, no matter how much it hurt her. Because hurting them was much worse.

Slowly standing up, Juvia grabbed her hat and gritted her teeth. This was not about her any more. This was about everybody else. As she trudged towards her home, Juvia strengthened her resolve.

She would keep her friends safe, even if it killed her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:**I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters. All rights go to Hiro Mashima respectively.

A few days later, a few of the guild members gathered to speak of a worrying matter.

"Something needs to be done," Erza announced, not wasting any time. Her all-business demeanor frightened the rest of the guild enough to take the volume down a few notches. It gave the group freedom to speak normally.

"Is Juvia-san going to be okay?" Wendy asked. She was fidgeting a little, her worry clear in her body language. Unfortunately, her restlessness was bothering Charle, whom Wendy was holding at the moment.

"She's an adult," Charle said. "She can make her own decisions." Contrary to her words, Charle _was_, in fact, concerned about Juvia. So far, no visions of the future had appeared yet. But the water mage's behaviour was worrisome. Especially after she had ran away from Gray.

"There must be some way we can help, right?" Lisanna asked. She was eager to help her friends. Juvia was no exception.

"Of course," Erza said, "As soon as we figure out what needs to be done." Her fist thudded into her open palm, back straightening at the prospect of a new challenge.

"It would've been much easier if Gray hadn't been such a wimp and ran after Juvia," Natsu said, crossing his arms as he provoked the one next to him.

The comment did not escape the ice mage. "What'd you say, flame brain?"

Elfman agreed, exclaiming that, "Letting loved ones go is not man!" just as a fight broke out. His comment was met with a kick to the stomach and a cry of, "It's not like that!" from Gray. The group seemed ready to disperse.

"Um, maybe we shouldn't rush into this," Lucy said, laughing nervously as she narrowly missed a flying fist. Everyone had completely veered off the problem at hand. "Guys?"

* * *

For the next few days, Juvia had barely any time to even catch her breath. Everyone seemed very keen on coming to visit her, reasons still unclear. Even Gray came, much to Juvia's dismay. Intent keeping him safe, she made sure to apologize quickly before slamming the door in his face. He was surprised, to say the least.

Erza had probably come the most out of them all. Every time Juvia would get up to do something—make coffee, have a bath, even ready herself for bed—Erza was knocking on her door, prepared to help. Finally, when Juvia was brought out of her shower to answer the door, she'd asked Erza politely, but firmly, what the hell was going on. Erza, in turn, surprised Juvia with her answer.

"Juvia, no matter what, we're here for you," she'd said, a sad smile on her face, "Fairy Tail is not a guild that lets its members suffer by themselves. We've all been through a lot—experiencing pain and sadness. But we're a family, and we make sure that no one has to bear the weight of their mistakes alone." Her eyes reflected a deep melancholy, her smile turned slightly bitter from the memory of her own experiences. "Because it's a lot worse when you're alone."

The moment had been ruined, unfortunately, by Erza wrapping an arm around Juvia to bring her close. She'd been wearing her armor at the time, which resulted in a small bruise on Juvia's forehead and burning eyes.

But the tears in her eyes weren't just from the shock of pain on her head. Even though Juvia knew that Erza didn't understand what exactly was happening, she'd felt comforted by the fact that her friend _cared_. It was a lot more than Juvia could ever ask for, and she'd been tempted to tell Erza everything that had been happening. But the bump to her head had been enough to knock some sense back into her. Her friends had been protecting her all this time, and now it was her turn to do the same.

And that's why she made sure to turn down every person who came to her door. Juvia wouldn't let her friends get hurt just because she couldn't control herself.

* * *

Munching on one of the cookies Wendy gave her, Juvia made sure to keep her eyes off the clock as the hours grew later and later. This was usually how her evenings passed by. She would pace around her apartment, pyjamas already on, and an alarm clock set to wake her up early if her nightmares got too out of hand. More than once, Juvia had awoken from something horrible, only to find herself reaching for her door or already sprawled out in the hallway.

The sleepwalking scared her enough to keep her doors locked while she slept. Just because no one had discovered her yet didn't mean that nobody would. Besides, whatever her subconscious had been doing while she was under couldn't have been anything good.

It occurred to Juvia to move out of Fairy Hills more than once. She'd been on the lookout for other apartments, but her shortage of money—thanks to her exhaustion, missions were sort of impossible to complete—was very limiting. Juvia's savings had already been more than half gone to pay off her rent and food.

Not that she ate much anyway. Her fatigue affected her appetite enough to make her skip most of her meals each week—which only drained her energy more. Every passing day, Juvia found herself in a downward spiral with no way out.

Juvia knew that she couldn't handle everything herself. She wasn't stupid—going through everything headstrong and on her own was not going to solve anything. But she couldn't help but be reluctant about asking for help from her friends. Juvia didn't doubt their strength—they proved themselves more times than she could count—but her nightmares were more than a little unpredictable. If they were to be put in danger because of her, Juvia would never be able to forgive herself.

That's why she was determined to leave them out of this. Juvia could find someone else. There were thousands (probably more, actually) of mages in Fiore. She was sure there was someone out there who could help her.

And that, unfortunately, was probably Juvia's worst mistake.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters. All rights go to Hiro Mashima respectively.

For the first time in her life, Juvia wished she was dreaming. She wished she was having a nightmare. She wished with all her might that what she saw in front of her was not reality.

But there was no mistaking the knife in her hand. Or the blood on the trees; not one leaf in the near surroundings missing a splatter of red. The air was suffocating, heavy with death. Juvia's vision sharpened for an instant, each detail clearly outlined for her. Then the scene was blurred out, mercifully, by the water in her eyes as she realized what she'd done.

The knife, slick with blood, slipped from her hands and tumbled onto the body of the man in front of her. Her throat swelled, preventing any sound from escaping her lips. Panic bubbled up inside of her as dread swirled through her mind. Juvia was finally in control of her body, but she couldn't move.

She'd killed him.

Hysteria and horror swam in her head, flooding her mind and drowning her reason. Shapes, images, shadows danced at the corners of her eyes. Voices taunted her as the colour of blood consumed her view. Juvia screamed—or laughed, she couldn't remember. She thought someone had eventually come to help, but by then, Juvia was stunned to the point of unconsciousness. But not even her sleep let Juvia forget what she'd done.

* * *

When Juvia awoke, she wished she hadn't. Her body throbbed with the slightest movements and her throat was so dry that she could hardly swallow. Her lungs smarted, each breath a laboured wheeze. She couldn't even think properly as her thoughts resonated painfully in her head. A groan escaped, her raw throat rasping out the sound.

"Juvia-chan!" someone's outcry inflamed her headache, making her eyes burn. "You're awake, finally. Oh, thank you…" There was some muttering, but fortunately in a much lower volume. When she cautiously opened her eyes, Juvia found herself squinting up at Lyon. Her lips parted in surprise just as he gently pushed a glass of water towards her mouth.

"It's okay, you're safe," he assured. Juvia didn't say anything. She couldn't—undoubtedly because it hurt too much, but mostly because Lyon was one of the last persons she was expecting to see since Juvia suddenly remembered what she had done. The memories cut into her mind, overwhelming her like alcohol in an open wound. Remorse and dread squeezed the knot in her stomach tighter, insistently reminding Juvia who was at fault.

"I've already contacted Fairy Tail," Lyon continued, glancing at Juvia while he spoke. "I guess they were really worried, because a few members are on their way now." Juvia hung her head in shame, the weight of her guilt increasing with every word. Did she have the right to face them, the blood of an innocent man covering her hands?

"Oh, right," Lyon turned her attention back to him. "I forgot to tell you. The man you were with is alive." He said and was about to say more but Juvia didn't let him.

"Really?" she croaked, her first word agonizingly scraping against her throat. But Juvia didn't even feel it; she felt like she was floating. Juvia was almost crying from relief. She hadn't killed him. "Is he really okay?"

There was a long pause as Lyon tried to find a way to respond. Juvia felt happiness slipping from her grasp.

"I… I wouldn't say he's okay," Lyon said finally, "Juvia, he didn't die, but he is still very badly injured. He… I-I don't think…"

Lyon stopped talking, but Juvia understood. Her smile disappeared so quickly as if it was never there. She should've known. It was her fault in the first place for not getting help. Her previous intentions were good, hoping to keep all those she cared for away from her growing problems. Lyon was no exception. It wasn't a matter of pride. It had never been about that.

But now she'd almost killed a man—who was in undoubtedly far worse shape than Juvia—and fear was gnawing at her. She could hardly even think about—

"What happened?"

Juvia lay still, unable to answer Lyon's question. She wanted nothing more than for someone to help stop the nightmares from taking over her life. But how was she supposed to tell him? Lyon, who she cared so much for. Shadows crept from the corners of the room, staining the white-washed walls. The air grew colder, the room more cramped.

What if she did it again? What if she couldn't stop herself? How many lives was she willing to put in jeopardy?

_None_, Juvia answered herself. But fear kept her from speaking. If everyone found out, they would leave her. She couldn't be alone. Not again. The gloom enough made Juvia more than reluctant to go back to her past. But now with her nightmares haunting her every step, watching her every movement, overcoming her every thought—

"Juvia."

Gently, as if she would break, Lyon wiped away the tears she didn't know she'd shed.

"Juvia."

His voice was soft, soothing. A new kind of sincerity, one Juvia had never seen directed at her, was expressed in his eyes. Gingerly, Lyon cupped her cheek, making her look right at him.

"Juvia, whatever happened, I'm here now. I'm not going to leave." He held her by the shoulders, willing her to let go of what was hurting her. "You don't have to be alone."

Those were the precise words she needed to hear. Unintentionally, Lyon had done exactly what Juvia had been longing for. Hiding her tears in his shoulder, she finally—in what felt like years—felt peace settle itself over her. She embraced Lyon, letting herself relax as she cried.

"You'll be alright," he whispered, a new resolve strengthening his words. "I won't let anyone hurt you." It hurt him to see her cry. Juvia felt so incredibly fragile in his arms; she was bound to break. Holding her tightly, Lyon swore he would never let that happen to her. "You're not going to lose me, Juvia."

Juvia had never expected someone to care for her this much. For once, the more she cried, the safer she felt. All her strength was gone, sapped from keeping her going all this time, but she didn't feel weak.

_You don't have to be alone._

Lyon had taken the darkness away.

* * *

**Note: **Just a quick thank you to those that reviewed. This chapter has taken a while, but I appreciate everyone's comments.

Thank you to _ThePugGurl, XxlighterxX, IbtiWiptyWoo, AsDarknessSpreads, kimberlouxxx, spiritecho, Darkwarrior1010, NudgeThePyro_, and _Guest._


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